


The White Cat's Butterfly

by KestraEchoWolf



Series: Miraculous 2k18 Music Challenge [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: 'You're Welcome' from Moana, AND DRAMA, Adrien is a demigod?, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Anonymous Ask, Butterfly Miraculous, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/M, I don't own the song, I took a lot of liberties with this, Inspired by Moana (2016), Inspired by Music, Loooots of Fluff, Mariposa!Marinette, Mentions of Turtle and Fox Miraculouses, Miraculous 2k18 Music Challenge on my Tumblr, Miraculous Freeform, Miraculous Powers Freeform, Not a Crossover, Psari is a world full of islands and oceans, Rated For Violence, Realm of Psari (Original World), Romance, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, What Have I Done, akumatized!adrien, and fluff, but not what you think, looooots of drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 03:31:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13627686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KestraEchoWolf/pseuds/KestraEchoWolf
Summary: "For the song challenge can we have mariblanc (but where adrien is akumatized but happy/silly?) with you're welcome from moana?" -Anonymous (via Tumblr)Psari is a beautiful world full of oceans and magic, all protected by the Miraculous Guardians.As a Butterfly Miraculous Guardian, Marinette's task is to inspire and defend her charges against the evil in the world. But her oldest enemy, Hawkmoth, is clever and will stop at nothing to gain control of every Miraculous. While the ladybug earrings are safely tucked away on Stronghold Island, the black cat ring is lost at sea.With the creation of Copycat, Mariposa's Champion turned Akuma, the safety of those earrings is at an even greater threat.However, fate has a way of righting the balance. Where an akumatized black cat flashed his claws at Mariposa, a white cat rises to defend her as her Champion.





	The White Cat's Butterfly

**Author's Note:**

> "For the song challenge can we have mariblanc (but where adrien is akumatized but happy/silly?) with you're welcome from moana?" -Anonymous (via Tumblr)
> 
> You really don't hold back, do you Anonymous(sessesses....) Anyway, your wish is my command! I apologize for the LONG wait. I had to scrap my original draft for this because, again, if I'm not 100% satisfied with a story, I WILL NOT POST IT! So here we are!
> 
> Also... this is over 8000 words! HOLY CATS WHAT HAVE I DONE???
> 
> **special note** I've taken a TON of liberties with how the Miraculouses work. Yes I'm aware I'm not following the Miraculous fanon/canon world rules, but for the sake of this AU, please understand and make some allowances for the story :) Thank you.
> 
> WARNING!!!! There is Angst and Violence and BLOOD as part of this story! Sorry Anon but I needed the drama in that part T.T But there is still fluff and ffun and feels^.^

Out of her five years of service as Miraculous Guardian of the Scarlet Islands, Mariposa, Marinette thought that all in all she was doing a fair job of diverting akuma-causing crises. It was easy for her, being the wielder of the Miraculous of Inspiration and Sight. As the butterfly, she was linked empathically to everyone around her; leading her to the lost and guiding them to where they needed to be, or rescuing them from an akuma's clutches. Akumas, more often than not, that were sent by Hawkmoth, a Miraculous Guardian turned rogue.

While her powers were often used in service to others, there were drawbacks to them. For example, many of her abilities and spells were limited to guiding and defense. There were times where she was caught off guard and alone in an akuma horde and needed to send out her own butterflies to seek out a Champion to aide her in battle.

This, unfortunately, left a split opinion about Mariposa among the public. The fact remained that both Mariposa and Hawkmoth were wielders of Butterflies, and therefore their powers were remarkably similar, if not identical. He would continuously pit his akumas against her Champions, in particular, seeking any way possible to break her into giving into him. While literally, thousands of people across the islands she guarded sang praises about her and her work, another band of thousands hissed and scorned her, afraid that she too would turn from the light and join Hawkmoth's path of betrayal.

It was Hawkmoth's mission to gain control over every Miraculous in the world, starting with two of the most powerful in all the world, the ladybug earrings and the black cat ring. Others of the Miraculous Guardians safely guarded the earrings; hidden away in a secret location, but the black cat ring was lost somewhere only the sea knows. Marinette shivered at the thought of someone as evil and twisted as Hawkmoth ever getting his hands on two of the most powerful gems in all of creation.  _Not that he hasn't tried,_ Marinette thought with a snort.

Unfortunately, Mariposa had one grievous error on her record that gave enough evidence for everyone, even others of the Miraculous Guardians, cause to be wary of her; it was a mistake that haunted her no matter what island she went to or who she helped.

* * *

  _Flashback_

* * *

 

Hawkmoth had sent a devastating akuma called Evershift. Evershift, to sustain its power, had to take the natural shape and abilities of any person it touched. Every mage that faced Evershift fell into a broken, comatose husk. It became so powerful that it was clear that Mariposa could never get close enough to locate and cleanse the vile akuma without falling as one of the victims herself. In a desperate cry for help, she sent out one of her own butterflies to find a Champion to aid her. Unfortunately, she hadn't been nearly as cautious as she usually did. Her butterfly merged and transformed a low-key counterfeiter into Mimic.

Mimic, at first, was the perfect match against Evershift. He had rushed to Mariposa's side and straight into battle, matching blow after blow with a copy of Mariposa's own defensive spell. Finally, when the fight was done, and Mariposa cleansed the poor heartbroken woman of her enemy's control, she turned to Mimic with her customary warm gratitude. It was then she realized, and felt, Mimic's addiction to her spell. He wanted to  _keep_ the powers she had granted him... and he was infatuated with her.

While Mariposa would've customarily been thrilled at the thought of an actual partner at her side, her powers banished away that fantasy. There was a shadow in Mimic's dark eyes that she knew she could never honestly trust 100%. Mimic would only continue to grow in power with each battle he fought and copied... he'd been power drunk before, she realized, and she would be damned if she were the cause of it now.

Unfortunately, Hawkmoth had been too close, and she had not sensed her enemy's presence at all. Before she could break her spell over Mimic, Hawkmoth swooped in and sent a blast of magic at the necklace that held her butterfly. She remembered the  _agony_ when Hawkmoth broke and reformed the ring, trapping  _her_ butterfly and twisting it into one of his moths. She remembered hearing Mimic's short scream of pain before it turned into a kind of giddy laughter that chilled her to the bone. Mariposa had been brought to her knees, feeling tiny, thin lacerations all over her body as Hawkmoth's curse transformed Mimic into a cat-themed akuma.

 _"Don't you see the power we have together?"_ Hawkmoth asked her, his slate-gray eyes wild with the rush.  _"With our powers of Transformation, we could rule the world! Think of all the power we will have once we control all the Miraculouses."_

Mimic had been staring blankly ahead, an outline of Hawkmoth's mask of control over his eyes. Mariposa didn't listen to a word her rival said, throwing all her energy into reaching her own butterfly and reasoning with her twisted Champion. Suddenly, Mimic turned and locked golden eyes with her. He grinned, taking in his new appearance and strutting up to her.  _"Look at me, Mariposa. Look at the good Hawkmoth can do, what you both can do to change this world. With his help, you won't have ever to wear yourself out. I could protect you, and you'll never have to fight another akuma again. We can be happy, imagine everything that I can_ bring _you."_

Images flashed in her eyes through the faint, tenuous connection she still held with Mimic. She remembered how...  _easy_ it sounded. She saw the promises that Hawkmoth made, the ability to never be hungry or be poor... all the powers to copy anything he wished at his fingertips, and therefore hers? It seemed so simple. But then, another vision came to her. It was something that she had seen too many times already, and the possibility always kept it in the corner of her Sight.  _Should the moth succeed, the stars will fall and Psari will disappear forever._ Mariposa physically shuddered at the thought, unable to imagine the ocean and the islands she loved so dearly just disappearing forever into an empty place between time and space. Hawkmoth would never share the power he promised, she realized.

When her Sight cleared, her decision was made. In a desperate attempt, she lunged at Mimic and missed his necklace. Mimic caught her, and it was thanks to her defense spell that was infused into own transformation that he'd been unable to copy much of her at all.

Thanks to his new appearance, Mimic had named himself 'Copycat' and announced his new allegiance to Hawkmoth. He swore that day that he would change her mind... that she would become his, one way or another.

* * *

  _End Flashback_

* * *

 

That encounter had happened a year and a half ago, but it still haunted the butterfly guardian as if it were yesterday. So here she sat on a private beach on the Guardian's island stronghold, away from both her friends and colleagues and ordinary civilians. She could still sense weak ties to people, especially the ones who were enjoying a midnight sail on the ocean. The sea lapped at the base of the rock she sat on, occasionally touching her toes as it stretched onto the shore and retreated again. She liked this spot because it was the most peaceful out of all places she'd ever been in Psari, which had been long and far over all the oceans of her world.

"Marinette, are you alright?" Nooroo, her kwami and the being that gave Marinette her powers, flew from the small home his charge had made him and lit onto her shoulder. He placed a gentle paw on her cheek and frowned worriedly, "You're trembling."

"I'm a little cold," she answered, brushing his concern away gently. Behind them, white butterflies lit from the flowers they sat on and flew over to land on her hands, arms, shoulders, and hair. She sensed their concerns for her. She felt warmth flood through her empathic connection, sensing their thoughts of warm, sunny skies and cool breezes. She looked up at the moon, the night warm yet cool for early summer. Stars winked cheerfully at her underneath the moon's crescent grin. The ocean lapped softly at the sand in at her feet as if reaching to touch her bare skin. Marinette winced as she felt another empathic tug on her magic. An echoing sense of longing that almost matched her own. She had felt this tug many times already, but she banished the instinct to follow the tie. She knew it was Copycat, trying to draw her out and into the open again.

Her last battle with him drained her physically, emotionally and psychically. While she had won the battle, she had been unable, yet again, to capture the akuma in his necklace and finally break the tie. Unfortunately, the longer the cat remained loose, the stronger Hawkmoth's hold was on him, and indirectly on her, became. It was exhausting ignoring the double cut she felt whenever the two of them worked in tandem against her both in and out of the mask.

"Maybe we should go inside," Nooroo suggested. "You're tired, my butterfly."

The butterfly warrior smiled and offered a nod. She got to her feet and allowed the ocean to lap up to her ankles. She closed her eyes, feeling the ocean's rejuvenating energy soak up through her skin and somehow feed something she longed for in her soul. As she turned to leave, she didn't notice a lone white and gold butterfly hang away from her flock. A line like a strand of scarlet silk trailed behind the Guardian, only visible in the moonlight for a brief second before vanishing. The butterfly hovered there for a moment before flying off and into the sky and disappearing in a flash of starlight and magic.

* * *

_One Year Later_

* * *

He was by far the most unusual akuma Marinette had ever heard of! At first, the Miraculous Guardian Council thought it was one of Hawkmoth's tricks, and it was some illusion to spread a false sense of security. An akuma that was  _helpful?_ No such thing existed! But since it was confirmed that Chat Blanc, as he named himself, did indeed possess an item that gave him power, the Council agreed that Mariposa was the Guardian most fit for the task.

She had hunted the seas for a year  _straight,_ tracking rumors to their sources and viewing the work Chat Blanc had done.

The cat's story started quite by accident, she was told. He had just appeared one day and rushed into a burning house to save a family trapped inside. When he tried to conjure a spell to negate the destruction, as he claimed he could before, the spell backfired and ended up reducing the whole house to cinders. Chat Blanc had been so distraught on the family's behalf that he began working the next morning immediately, clearing the blackened earth so the builders could start rebuilding the family's new dwelling. He did not leave until it was finished and assisted wherever he can, whether to hammer nails into beams or paint the walls or mind the children. _"No task was too small,"_ he told them. _"And this is the only way I can make amends for my mistake."_

After that, Chat Blanc's fame grew. He would appear in times of disaster to lend a hand or at festivals where he was joining the celebrations. People asked him if he was a new Miraculous Guardian, to which the cat denied. He was a real akuma, he claimed, blessed when a white butterfly came to him and grant him his powers. However, his generous host never linked minds with him, so he never knew who his benefactor was.

This bit of news made Marinette edgy. Granted she and Hawkmoth were not the only butterfly guardians in the world, the claim that Chat never mind-linked with anyone was preposterous! Marinette was as good at figuring out lies as a Peacock Guardian thanks to her hatred of them. The need to find the truth about this mysterious akuma provided the drive for this long hunt. But every time she thought she was  _finally_ getting close, Chat Blanc would just disappear and reappear in another place weeks later! It was infuriating! Was he doing this on purpose?

Finally, her hunt had brought her to an island named Autumn Key, which was the southernmost point of the Shimmering Archipelago, far from her home chain of islands. It was also the home of her best friend, Alya, aka Renna Rogue, the Fox Guardian of these waters. Alya welcomed Marinette's unexpected visit and confirmed that she had heard of Chat Blanc sightings scattered throughout the Archipelago islands. It seemed that Marinette finally had a stroke of luck, and she would fight to keep it with all she was worth.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Alya asked as Marinette fixed her Miraculous to her purple and island flower printed dress.

"No, I think I can handle it. After all, Chat Blanc hasn't done anything violent. I don't feel like I'm in any danger."

"Well, you know how to reach me if you do get into trouble," her friend told her, wrapping her up in a tight hug. "Be careful, okay Mari?"

Marinette returned the hug just as tightly and opened the door to head outside. Instantly she felt the magical ties to all living things around her snap into place as if thousands of tiny threads were suddenly attached to her skin. The sensation was dizzying at first, as it always was when stepping out of homes protected by wards, but feeling fell away as she walked.

She walked for hours, leaving the town where Alya lived to follow the beach. She eventually came to Port Blue Reef, a prosperous trading port when suddenly children's laughter filled both her physical and psychic hearing, drawing her up short. She felt a sharp pull on her magic, much like she did when she sensed a warning that a person was about to become akumatized. She whirled on her heel and felt another wave of dizziness hit her. Children ran her way, a blur of white and gold following them over rooftops.

"I got you now!" a warm voice proclaimed excitedly. The figure leaped down from above with grace that Marinette could only describe as feline. As her vision cleared, she noticed the white cat ears that stuck out among long, golden strands of a blond mane.  _This must be Chat Blanc,_ she realized somewhere in her dazed observation.

Chat Blanc tackled one of the children and rolled with them in the sand, landing below them with his arms and legs trapping the squirming boy to his chest. "I caught you," he growled. Years of training kicked in, and Marinette reached for her Miraculous to summon Nooroo when the boy suddenly shouted triumphantly.

_"Now Mariposa!"_

"Your time is at an end, evil akuma," a girl appeared with a mob of other children behind her. The phrase was so familiar that Marinette had to pinch herself to figure out if she were dreaming. She watched as the mob of children, most of them dressed in white or with hints of varying color, surrounded Chat Blanc with towels. Chat froze as if in a daze and his prisoner escaped his now limp hold. He brought over a seashell to the girl and she took it in both hands, much like Marinette would do, and blew on it. "Bye-bye, little butterfly!"

Suddenly, Chat Blanc sat up and rubbed the sand out of his hair. "What happened?" he asked incredulously.

"I, Mariposa, saved you from being akumatized! Are you alright, do you need any more help?" the girl asked.

 _I see,_ Marinette began to understand, and a smile stretched up at the corner of her lips.  _It's a game he's playing with them._

"Oh, wonderful Mariposa! I am indebted to your greatness," Chat Blanc bowed to the girl, prostrating himself at her feet. "Your generosity knows no bounds."

Marinette couldn't help it, a snort and a giggle escaped her. She clasped her hands over her mouth to stop the noise, but it already drew the children's attention away from the white cat-man. Chat Blanc looked up as well and instantly Marinette was captured by the warmest, brightest green eyes she'd ever seen in her life!

"Faline!" a woman's voice called. "Taj, Andy, Marcel, it's time to say goodbye to Mr. Blanc and come in for lunch!"

The children all whined as other mothers called their own children inside. Across the harbor, a bell rang signaling everyone within hearing range to come in for the noon meal. Chat Blanc waved his farewells to the children, paying no heed to the bell. Instead, he turned and walked over to Marinette with a confident swagger in his hips as he brushed the sand out of his long hair and off his shoulders. He was dressed simply in a tattered white vest that was held closed by a single silver button and white pants that many islanders often wore. Other than the cat features such as ears, claws and a swishing tail, and the myriad of tattoos across his chest and down his arms, he was plain to look at. "My, my, are you a sea goddess come to take me home?"

Marinette's jaw dropped, and her cheeks turned pink instantly. "Oh please, I'm no goddess," she rolled her eyes. "I take it you're the legendary Chat Blanc I've heard about."

"Not a goddess?" Chat blinked dubiously, taking in her appearance and then gave her a lopsided grin. Once he was close enough, he swept her hand up and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Then most certainly you are a princess. You are correct, my lady, I am indeed the great Chat Blanc, at your service." He bowed.

Marinette pulled her hand away, ignoring the tingle that traveled up her arm from the affection. "Not a princess either," she denied. "I've been looking for you for quite a while now."

"Oh?" Chat's green eyes brightened. "From your accent, I'd say you're from somewhere in the northern islands, I'd say... the Scarlet Island chain, specifically..." he paused and rubbed his chin as Marinette's eyes widened in surprise at his accurate guess. "Whispering Lagoon? And there's no need to hide your identity, princess. It's quite alright. As I told your elders, you're quite welcome."

Marinette blinked and couldn't help but keep the wry twist off her mouth. "I'm not from Whispering Lagoon, but good try though."

"Blue Key? Salim Island? No matter, as I said you're welcome. There's no need for you to come serve me. As a demigod, it's an honor and a pleasure to help your islands. Clearly my brothers and sisters among the gods favor you."

At this, Marinette's expression fell into shock and confusion. "W-wh-- that's not- I mean, you're-- I'm" she began to stutter.  _Why am I stuttering,_ she demanded herself.  _You haven't stuttered since you were a teenager!_ As she tried to string a coherent sentence on  _why_ she was there, Chat watched in amusement. Finally, he laughed and shook his head, holding his claw-tipped hands in surrender.

 

 _"Ok, ok, I see what's happening here_  
_You're face to face with greatness, and it's strange_  
_You don't even know how you feel_  
_It's adorable!"_

 

He danced around her and stroked a finger down her cheek.

 

_"Well, it's nice to see that humans never change"_

 

"What?!" Marinette squawked at last.

 

_"Open your eyes, let's begin  
Yes, it's really me, it's Meowi: breathe it in!"_

 

Marinette's eyes widened in shock at the name of one of the demigods of legend, a white cat named Meowi. He had a home in the divine realms, among the stars, but he often left the sky to wander the mortal worlds. She couldn't believe what she was hearing! Did this poor soul honestly think he was some sort of demigod? "But you just called yourself Chat Blanc!"

"Eh, I thought I needed a modern name for more modern times," the cat shrugged his shoulders and continued to sing.

 

 

 

 

_"I know it's a lot: the hair, the bod!"_

 

He struck a brief pose, flexing at her.

  
_"When you're staring at a demi-god"_

 

Suddenly, he swept her up into dancing on the beach with him. Marinette protested, honestly not being the most graceful of dancers, and tried to pull away. Chat kept a firm, warm hand on her back and leaned down to smile in her face.

 

_"What can I say except you're welcome_  
_For the tides, the sun, the sky_  
_Hey, it's okay, it's okay_  
_You're welcome_  
_I'm just an ordinary demi-guy"_

 

He spun her away and into a seat on a low hanging branch in a flowering island tree. He clapped his hands, dancing comically to his song as he continued, tail swishing mischievously behind him.

 

 _"Hey!_  
_What has two thumbs that pulled up the sky_  
_When you were waddling yay high_  
_This guy!"_

 

Suddenly, he disappeared from sight and reappeared behind her, wrapping both arms around her and crooned more softly in her ear.

 

_"When the nights got cold  
Who stole you fire from down below"_

 

He moved around her, spreading his arms out as he bowed again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_"You're lookin' at him, yo_

_Oh, also I lassoed the sun_  
_You're welcome!_  
_To stretch the days and bring you fun_

 

 

 

 

_Also I harnessed the breeze"_

He waved his hand and magic filled his palm, shimmering much like Mariposa's wings would when she summoned a wind to carry her into flight. He sent the breeze to her, filling her raven-black hair as if someone were finger-combing her tresses. He winked when her blue eyes met his green ones.

 

 

 

 

_"You're welcome!_  
_To fill your sails and shake your trees"_

Suddenly, he swept her up into dancing with him again.

 _"So what can I say except you're welcome_  
_For the islands I pulled from the sea_  
_There's no need to pray, it's okay_  
_You're welcome!_  
_Ha, I guess it's just my way of being me_  
_You're welcome!_  
_You're welcome!"_

They came to a stop and he held her hands between his and sighed dramatically.

 

 

 

_"Well, come to think of it_  
_Kid, honestly I can go on and on_  
_I can explain every natural phenomenon_  
_The tide, the grass, the ground, oh_  
_That was Maui just messing around"_

 

He began ticking things off his fingers as he named them.

 

 _"I killed an eel_  
_I buried its guts_  
_Sprouted a tree, now you got coconuts_  
_What's the lesson_  
_What is the take-away_  
_Don't mess with Meowi when he's on the break-away"_

 

He leaned closer to show his tattoos and Marinette could see the magic that traced all throughout the lines.

 

 _"And the tapestry here on my skin_  
_Is a map of the victories I win_  
_Look where I've been_  
_I make everything happen_  
_Look at that mini-Meowi just tippity-tappin'_

 

Marinette giggled as the small cat on his 'tattoo' did indeed start dancing by magic. Chat beamed, exhilarated at her reaction.

 _"Well, anyway let me say you're welcome_  
_For the wonderful world you know_  
_Hey, it's okay, it's okay_  
_You're welcome!_  
_Well, come to think of it, I gotta go"_

_"Hey, it's your day to say you're welcome"_

 

Marinette blinked in confusion, "You're welcome?"

  
_"'Cause I'm gonna need a boat_  
_I'm sailing away, away_  
_You're welcome!_  
_'"Cause Meowi can do anything but float"_

 _"You're welcome!_  
_You're welcome!_  
_And thank you!"_

 

And suddenly he was waving at her and running away. Marinette blinked, dazed from the performance and gazed after the white cat that claimed to be a demigod. "For what?" she wondered. When she stood up to follow, she realized how much lighter her belt pouch suddenly felt. Looking down, she realized that the devious cat that claimed to be a demigod had filched her money! With a scream of outrage, she ran to the harbor, half tempted to transform and shorten the trip.

She searched high and low over each ship, asking sailors and traders alike if they had seen the elusive white cat. When she finally got a confirmation, she watched as a small speed canoe flew across the harbor towards the sunset, a magical breeze filling the sail.

* * *

_A Few Days Later_

* * *

Needless to say, Marinette was  _furious_ when she sailed away from Autumn Key the next day. Truthfully, out of everything the filching feline could've taken, she was thankful it wasn't her Miraculous. She was doubly-thankful for the fact that she was a Miraculous Guardian, she was never without funds no matter where she traveled.

Blue Reef's port master was kind enough to let Mariposa look over the ship's logs in hopes of finding some clue to where Chat maybe going. When she asked how he paid for his canoe, the port master told her he had earned money serenading a lovely young princess from an island in the northeast. Mariposa's cheeks turned slightly pink with both surprise and irritation at this and closed the logs with more force than necessary. Gauging how long an akuma's powers will last was tricky, often depending on what the akuma actually was. So, by judging the maps carefully and how he pursued a more modern persona of the demigod Meowi, she had narrowed it down to two islands. This time, she hoped she was right.

This time she met with Carapace, the lead guardian of the Jimewah chain of islands. The turtle guardian denied hearing about the elusive white cat, but he did bring up a bit of news Marinette was not prepared for: Copycat had been spotted.

Nino met Marinette's blue eyes with his warm brown ones. "I wish I had better news for you, Mari, really. I tried catching him myself, but the damn cat is too slippery."

"I don't blame you," Marinette told him as she sank down into one of the plush chairs in his living room. "I just didn't expect to see him or Hawkmoth out this far."

"If it makes it any better, I haven't seen the moth at all. If he is here, he's not transformed. I've got these islands so warded up, I'll know when he sneezes and where."

"Thanks, Carapace," Marinette fist-bumped him.

Despite knowing she was safe, the butterfly guardian waited a few more days before leaving her host's home to explore the main island, Fewla, which was known for its rich culture, markets, and gardens. She selected one such garden and sat down to enjoy a sweet when she felt something prickle at the back of her neck. Her senses went on alert, and she turned to look just as a shadow disappeared out of view.  _Nino did say he was sending out watchers to make sure I'm safe,_ she thought.  _And I do have my Miraculous and Nooroo if I need to call on a champion. Fewla's a popular island, I'm sure it's nothing._

She turned back to her sweets and yelped in surprise as a pair of hauntingly familiar, golden cat eyes appeared before her. She scrambled back, dropping her treat into the grass in her haste, as the color drained from her face. "C-Copycat!"

"I see my reputation precedes me," the akuma chuckled, his golden eyes locked onto the butterfly brooch on her chest. "As does yours, my love. It's been so long since I've seen you, too long really. You've let your hair grow out, it's beautiful."

Marinette fell off her bench and tried to get to her feet, "I think you have me confused."

Copycat's ears flattened and his face twisted in a snarl, "Don't you dare try that. I am the master of counterfeiting or have you forgotten? I can spot an original a mile away. What other raven-haired beauty would hold  _that_ particular Miraculous?"

"Okay, you are officially a rude host," said a voice from above. Both woman and akuma looked up just as Chat Blanc dropped down to land between them on his feet. Marinette gasped the white cat's name, belatedly wondering  _how_ she missed feeling his presence at all. Chat turned and smiled at her warmly before turning back to scowl at Copycat. "Honestly, if you truly knew who this was, you would know first she was royalty and bow. Second, you made her dump her snack." Chat Blanc pointed at the fallen dish. "Good manners dictate that you buy her a new one."

"Back off,  _peasant,"_ Copycat snarled. "This doesn't concern you."

"Well that makes you blind and stupid," Chat remarked coolly. "If you haven't heard by now, I am Chat Blanc. And anything that concerns my lady  _is_ my business."

Copycat gaped at the blond, and his golden eyes flicked back to Marinette. Suddenly, he began laughing. "A-are you serious? Mari, if you missed me so much, you could've found me easily!" He held up his possessed necklace. Marinette's Sight saw it filled with Hawkmoth's sickly purple curse. Barely any trace of her own purplish-pink magic was left on the butterfly within. "Although, I must say I am flattered," Copycat continued. "Even if this new Champion is subpar."

Chat Blanc's pupils narrowed to uncharacteristically cold slits. "Excuse me?"

"Chat isn't my Champion," Marinette answered, drawing the blond white cat's attention to her in confusion. "Not in the traditional sense."

"Not your Champion?" Copycat eyed the newcomer from top to toe. "What, are you a deserter? A rogue akuma?"

"I use to think I was an akuma when I first woke up," Chat answered and turned back to his opponent. He grinned, baring sharp white fangs. "But some people recognized me for who I really am. I'm a demigod, actually. You probably know me better in legends as Meowi."

Copycat actually looked like he choked. Marinette, however, had her gaze locked on Chat Blanc.  _He thought he was an akuma when he first woke up? Does that mean... he really doesn't know for sure?_

"I can help you," Marinette put a hand on Chat's shoulder and felt a connection extend from her to him. "I can help you remember." Chat stiffened at her touch. Now she could feel his confusion, his fear after waking up over a year ago. Suddenly, she felt as if she were covered from head to toe in salt water and a throbbing pain in her skull. The feeling made her eyes water. Chat turned around to face her, ears twitching in uncertainty. He touched her hand, enveloping it carefully so not to cut her with his claws.

"Are you sure you're not a goddess?" he asked. "Can you really send me home?"

"Don't you dare  _touch_ her!" Copycat snarled, drawing a knife from his belt. Marinette saw it and reacted out of instinct.

 _"Nooroo, wings rise!"_ she shouted. Instantly her Miraculous flared to life and bathed her in glowing hues of purple that reminded Chat Blanc of the night sky just after sunset. Her simple dress changed to a blouse and breeches with shimmering rings in the shape of butterflies at her toes and ankles. She lifted into the air as a cape descended down her back and rose into the most beautiful pair of butterfly wings he had ever seen in his life! Her raven-black hair was dipped in purple at the tips with streaks of pink scattered throughout the strands. Her simple hairbands were exchanged for purple butterfly holds and her mask appeared over her face in a shimmering purple-silver flash. She was  _breathtaking._

A burst of power sent Copycat backward and shielded both Mariposa and Chat Blanc in a bubble of purple magic. Chat looked absolutely dumbfounded.

_Definitely a goddess._

The foreign thought came so clearly to Mariposa that she physically jumped when it touched her mind. _By all the_ _gods, he formed a mind-link!_

"What's a mind-link?" Chat Blanc asked.

"By the sun and stars,  _you are my Champion!"_

"What?!" Copycat snarled, rolling to his feet. "No matter, I'll show you who your true Champion is Mariposa. Mark my words!"

"I... I don't understand," Chat Blanc stuttered nervously, losing some of his cocky swagger. He looked between Mariposa and Copycat before turning back to look at the Guardian.  _What does this mean?_ He asked silently.

_It means, somehow, your powers are born from me. Well, not me exactly, but one of my butterflies-- it's complicated. LOOK OUT!_

As if seeing Copycat himself, Chat Blanc stuck out a leg and tripped the akuma. He dropped into a fighting stance that reminded her of a kick style martial art she'd seen Shang warriors use.  _You use butterflies to give others their powers?_ Chat asked mentally, using the link between them to communicate as he swung a leg up and clocked Copycat square in the jaw.

_Yes, but you're not like any Champion I've ever seen before! Not even when I was new!_

Suddenly, Copycat clapped his hands together, and his eyes glowed a sickly purple. He blurred before them, and suddenly there were two Copycats, then four, then six, until the pair were entirely surrounded by copies. As if they'd been fighting for years, Mariposa and Chat Blanc went back to back. Mariposa summoned her shield, ready to defend her Champion's back, but she knew that Chat Blanc was grievously under-armed for a fight like this.

"How does this normally work?" he asked, trying to keep the panic she felt out of his voice.

Mariposa reached behind her and found his hand, "Do you accept the mantel I bestow upon you as my Champion of justice? Will you aid me in this battle against evil?"

"What?!"

_"Just answer!"_

"Yes!"

Contract signed, Mariposa felt her magic surge in a way she'd never felt before. She turned and lifted her shield to the sky and bathed Chat Blanc in her power. When the light cleared, Chat Blanc looked much the same, but now he held a long silver baton in his hands, and his clothing was now edged in gold with faint butterfly designs. He wore some sort of utility belt around his waist with multiple white pouches. Around his neck, he bore a white collar with a golden bell and his wild mane was bound back into a ponytail with a butterfly ornamented white hairband. His cat ears twitched upward in shock as he looked down and watched as the tattoos on his arms morphed to show streams of butterflies racing up to his shoulders and beneath his clothes. He noticed his chest felt significantly warmer too... as if some piece of himself had finally found it's home.

When his eyes cleared, Chat looked down and whistled at his new prizes. He twirled the baton expertly and caught it after tossing it in the air. "Oh, this is  _nice._ Who is Meowi incarnate without his trusty staff."

"Seriously? That's what you get from this?!" Mariposa gaped.

"You won't get to enjoy Mariposa's gifts for long," one Copycat snarled as he and another copy rushed at him. Mariposa raised her shield just as another Copycat rushed at her, drawing out a knight stick to strike her with. Soon both Guardian and Champion were caught in a knot of snarling, hissing horde of cat-themed copies of an akuma. Mariposa wasn't sure how long the fight went, knocking away one copy after another, only for another one to show up out of nowhere and land a punch in an unguarded soft spot.

"This isn't working!" Chat Blanc snapped. "We need to get to higher ground!" With a spin of his baton, he planted one end in the ground and grabbed Mariposa around the waist. "Hang on, princess!" Mariposa still shrieked in surprise as the baton extended into the air and rocketed them out of harm's way. Chat flew through the air as if he'd done it a hundred times over and landed on a rooftop and gently set Mariposa down beside him.

"What-how?! Did you know I could do that?" Chat Blanc asked excitedly.

"No! Did you?!"

"I do now," he crowed. "I wonder what else I can do!"

The question trigged Mariposa's Sight, and she froze in place, a hand touching the cat's arm to keep her balance. She watched in confusion as Chat Blanc shouted a word that was foreign to her. Then she saw Copycat as he once was, as the human she had chosen to be her Champion against Evershift. In Chat Blanc's claws was Copycat's necklace. When the vision ended, she shared a dubious look with her Champion.

"Was that his weakness? The necklace?" Chat asked.

"That's where the akuma is hiding, yes."

Suddenly, Chat perked, and he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Praise the gods for your Sight, princess. I'll be back with that thief's necklace before you can say meow!"

Mariposa's heart jerked in her chest, and she jumped forward and grabbed his hand. "Chat, wait!" He did, looking at her impatiently. "When I first... back when he was my Champion, I gave him the ability to copy any power he could get his hands on, and that includes my shielding powers. I don't know what he'll throw at you,  _literally._ He could kill you, so please... be careful." Chat Blanc held her eyes, and Mariposa felt his mind gently probe hers as if looking for a reason. He must've found it because his face twisted into a scowl.

"Princess, if he ever truly loved you, or had a hope of earning your love in return, he would've  _never_ sided with your enemy."

Mariposa's face betrayed her shock. She didn't feel like she shared a memory with him... so how had he known? The blond bent and kissed her cheek again before leaping back over the roof's edge.  _"Here kitty, kitty, kitty,"_ Chat Blanc called, effectively drawing the akuma out of an alley. Copycat looked downright  _murderous_.His claws had extended so long that he had no hope of closing his hands into fists. Chat spun his baton at his side between his own claws, a thunderous look on his own face. "You're a disgrace," he spat at Copycat as the two ran at each other.

"Oh, and you're any better? What hubris you have, claiming the name of a  _god_ when you're just as mortal as I am!" Copycat spat. "I will punish you in their name.

"Big talk for a kitten. I  _am_ a demigod, Copycat, and far older than you. Besides isn't that the Cat calling the other black?" he asked, gesturing to Copycat's black costume. "You should confront your own hubris, thinking someone as  _purrfect_ as Mariposa would ever stoop to love a common thief! She gave you a chance at greatness, to become her  _Champion_ in the people's hours of need and you throw it back in her face by joining her enemy!"

"Hawkmoth is not the enemy here," Copycat snarled back.  _"You are!"_

Again and again, they clashed, and Mariposa had to hold herself back from joining the fray again. This was not a catfight she could interfere with. If she got in the way, there was a chance she could cause an accident and break her spell over Chat Blanc. So instead, she allowed herself to mind-link with her Champion once more, providing guidance and experience to his blows. Chat's goading seemed to work, and Copycat was losing ground. Mariposa psychically had her eyes on Copycat's necklace when a sharp, slicing pain shot through her shoulder from behind. She screamed in agony, not expecting a sneak attack and fell. Her pain traveled through her link and Chat yowled as if struck himself. Mariposa rolled, eyes watering and glared at Hawkmoth and watched as he raised his cane above his head in one hand, a scarlet blade in the other. Something warm, her blood she guessed, trickled down her back.

 _"No!"_ Chat Blanc's screech tore out of Mariposa's mouth, and she lunged at her attacker. Her shield caught Hawkmoth's next strike. Mariposa felt the cacophony of confused emotions rip through all her connections as both Copycat and Chat Blanc broke their fight and raced to her side.

"Hawkmoth, this was not part of the deal!" Copycat screeched as Hawkmoth struck again with his cane. He twisted the crystal nob on the top and drew out a long saber.

"Mariposa is too stubborn to see the light, Copycat. If she refuses to join us willingly, she must be  _removed."_

"Over my dead body!" Chat Blanc snarled and flew at the rogue Guardian. Mariposa trembled from head to toe, her lips going cold as shock began to set in.  _I think I've been stabbed,_ she told Chat through their mind-link.

"Mariposa, _please! Please see reason,"_ Copycat pleaded. "You must after all this time, seeing the corruption that is spreading through all of Psari like a plague. Hawkmoth has a plan to rid the world of all evil if you'd just  _listen_ to him. If you join us, I can heal you!"

Mariposa's wild, pain-filled blue eyes met the akuma's and realized that he was  _crying._

 _An akuma crying real tears? Now I've seen it all,_ she thought.

"Copycat... I have the Sight, remember? I can see the future. And every time I see Hawkmoth... _ah!_ I see all of Psari disappearing into nothingness... he'll never keep his promises," she tried to get up again, her whole chest throbbing in agony.

"But you never see the end because  _you won't join us,"_ Copycat told her. "I have the sight too, my love. I saw you and me,  _happy_ together in a world Hawkmoth created! You haven't seen what comes next because he will be the god of the new world." Marinette's lips parted in shock at the conviction she heard in Copycat's voice. Through their fraying link, she felt that he truly believed Hawkmoth's promises. Suddenly, his face turned hopeful, and he looked at Chat Blanc. Aiming his claws at his rival, he shouted,  _"Entrap!"_ His claws extended and boxed Chat Blanc into a cage before disengaging from his fingers. Chat Blanc roared in a fury, his cat-like pupils almost invisible against his glowing green irises. "Now, you must join minds and let Hawkmoth show you the last of the vision."

 _"Finally._ Now's your chance, Copycat!" Hawkmoth ordered, wiping a bloodied lip on his black glove. "Bring me Mariposa's Miraculous!"

"B-but without her Miraculous, she'll bleed out! _Please, Hawkmo-_ "

 _"Do it!"_ Hawkmoth's power blazed over Copycat's mask in an angry purple haze. When it cleared, the same blank expression was on his face; just as Mariposa remembered the first time he was changed into this form.

 _"Yes, Hawkmoth,"_ he answered as if in a daze. He looked down at the butterfly guardian and began reaching with numb, trembling fingers towards her chest. Mariposa gasped softly in both agony and fear as she felt her life slipping away as her shoulder continued to bleed out. She remembered her vision and latched onto the mind-link with Chat Blanc. She repeated the word to him, over and over again.

 _What does it mean?_ Chat asked frantically as he fought to break the bars of his prison.

_I think... it's a word only you can wield. Say it! Say-_

_"CATACLYSM!"_ Chat Blanc bellowed, and instantly black magic surrounded his claws. Immediately the bars and part of the roof disintegrated, and Hawkmoth jumped away from the frightening magic. Copycat looked up, startled, as the white cat barreled into him and rolled over and over until they hit a wall. Chat was the first to get up. He snatched out with his black-covered claws and snatched Copycat's necklace away, destroying it and catching the akuma in his free hand. Mariposa wailed in agony as she felt the last remaining strand of her tie to her fallen Champion finally break. Somewhere in the background, she heard Hawkmoth mimic her cry of pain.

Chat panted, trying to control his fury and turned his wet green eyes to Mariposa. "W-what do I do with it?"

She opened her hand to her chest and panted as she touched her Miraculous. "N-Nooroo... w-wings fall-"

"Mariposa  _no!"_ Chat wailed as the guardian willingly released her transformation. Pain shot through her entire body, and she felt her wound throb anew. Her kwami shot out of her Miraculous just in time to catch the moth that Chat released to scoop her up into his arms... and that was the last thing she remembered was Chat Blanc's terrified face.

* * *

_Sometime Later_

* * *

_The first thing Marinette became aware of was the solid drumming in her ears. It was soothing and steady and kept terrible dreams away. She remembered dreaming of Nooroo, though, and many other kwamis that were gathered at the Stronghold. She felt as if she were intruding on something drastically important. But it had something to do with her. Sometimes when she saw something that seemed really important, she would hear the drumbeat get faster... and then it would slow once it was over._

_Finally, Nooroo was alone, and he turned to look at her with pride. "It's time to wake up, my butterfly. You've been sleeping long enough, and you're worrying everybody."_

_Asleep?_

_That's right, the drumming was keeping the bad dreams away._

_"Will it hurt to wake up?"_

_"No, silly. I think you'll be pleased when you do. Come on, up you go!"_

Marinette blinked her eyes open to a thatched roof overhead. She could smell oils and healing balm, which told her she was in the infirmary back at the Stronghold. She wondered briefly how she managed to get back home when she was a two-week journey away, to begin with. But then, she decided it wasn't important. She needed to focus on getting up. She pulled in a deep breath through her nose, biting her lip as pain in her shoulder flared as the skin stretched at something tender. The drumming she was listening to accelerated. "Praise the gods, you're awake at last!"

 _Oh... so the drumming wasn't drumming after all,_ she realized and tilted her head upwards to meet Chat Blanc's masked green eyes. She frowned in confusion. "You're supposed to change back after the fight. How are you still transformed?"

Chat Blanc raised one shoulder in a shrug. "Nooroo says that until you release the spell... I stay this way."

"But I always-" she stopped, remembering. "Oh Chat, you've been like this for over a  _year_ waiting for me to release my spell? How did it even happen anyway?"

Chat shook his head and raised his claws to show his hands. Marinette looked and fingered the blackened claws on his fingertips and the onyx ring on his hand. She frowned, "I didn't know you wore a ring."

"Your butterfly is in there, or so Nooroo says. It's not a normal butterfly, from what I'm told."

Marinette touched the jewelry and felt a warm greeting flutter touch her fingertip. An image formed over the ring, revealing a white and gold butterfly that dwelled within. "He says... he was meant to find you," she told him. Then she blushed, "He found you for me."

"Who?"

"This little one here. He doesn't want to leave the ring. Or at least, he says he can't, not yet."

"Is that uncommon?"

"It is exceedingly rare," Nooroo appeared through the door and flew to them. "I'm glad to see you awake my butterfly. Did you dream?"

"Some," Marinette answered, unsure on how much to tell and how much to keep. The kwami seemed to know regardless and offered a beaming smile.

"Some butterflies never have partners of their own, meaning a partner among the Miraculous Guardians. We're not fighters... well, most of us aren't. But every few hundred years, a butterfly will find their Perfect Champion."

"Perfect Champion?" both cat and girl asked at the same time.

"A Champion so rare that it's akin to finding a soulmate. They are the butterflies most perfect partner and the ideal choice for a returning Champion."

"Is that why you don't repeat Champions?" Chat asked.

"It is one reason. Another is that creating Champions is often exhausting. Some get power hungry, others have lives that cannot match a Miraculous Guardian's lifestyle... the list is long."

Chat Blanc's ears twitched in thought, and he held up the hand with his ring. "Will I be stuck like this then?"

"Oh no," Nooroo laughed. "You've already caused quite a stir, young Champion. If you ever wished to release the transformation, Marinette could either give the word to the butterfly or you two can create one for yourself."

"So it's like... a make-shift Miraculous stone?"

"In a way, if you like."

Chat instantly perked in delight. "Claws in." Spontaneously, light flowed over Chat Blanc's form and his cat-like features dissolved. His ring remained onyx black, but the center now held a silver butterfly in the middle. The emblem reminded Marinette much of a crest or a coat of arms or a shield. Regardless, it fit him.

"Oh, now  _that's_ unusual," Nooroo noted, flying closer to the ring.

"How so?" Chat asked.

"Well, when a Miraculous deactivates or an item is free from possession, it turns back into its normal state. Your ring didn't change color."

"I don't have an explanation," Marinette added. "And the little one in here refuses to give up a reason why." She tapped the ring.

"Not all mysteries are meant to be solved in one day," Nooroo agreed sagely. He smiled softly, "I'll leave you two to rest. Chat... or... um... we really need a name for you when you're not transformed."

"Adrien. My name's Adrien."

Marinette looked up at the blond man that held her and blushed slightly. Even with the mask, he was quite handsome, but now he was downright  _dashing!_ Her lips quirked into a smirk, "So you're not a demigod incarnate?"

"Oh no, I am," Adrien grinned. "But I can't go around claiming to be a demigod when I'm incognito, isn't that so Princess?"

Marinette scoffed, "I'm  _not_ a princess."

"Oh but you are," Adrien leaned down and nuzzled into her hair. "You're  _my_ princess."

Marinette arched a dark eyebrow, "Is that so?"

"But of course! I'm your Perfect Champion, your  _soulmate!_ And since it's still debatable on whether or not you're a goddess, or even a demigoddess, you are therefore  _my_ Princess."

Somewhere deep inside Marinette stirred and for some reason, she believed him.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [my FB page,](https://www.facebook.com/KestraEchoWolf/) [Tumblr,](http://kestraechowolf.tumblr.com/) [and Twitter](https://twitter.com/KestraEchoWolf/) to leave comments and prompt requests!  
> [Buy Me a Coffee](https://ko-fi.com/X8X26UWA)
> 
> Also here is the [master post to my Miraculous 2k18 Music Challenge on my Tumblr blog](http://kestraechowolf.tumblr.com/post/170532971476/miraculous-music-challenge-2018-break-the-block)
> 
> I update that list and the one linked to my blog directly each time I recieve a challenge :) Challenges are answered in order that they are recieved ;)


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